A full house of resale and industry leaders gathered this week to take a deep dive into the budget process, government transformation and the key metrics that must be in play moving forward for the Defense Resale System to be successful. Expert speakers, congressional members (House and Senate) and leaders from key beneficiary groups all weighed in on plans and process currently facing the federal government and the vital public private partnership at the foundation of the Defense Resale System. The message delivered by all was clear: Success in any military resale business transformation must be measured by the impact on the patron…not the impact on the budget. Look for detailed breakdown of speakers and concepts on the ALA and Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits web pages in the next several weeks.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Bisek & Company, Inc. Military Resale Distributing Agent and BrokerBisek & Company, Inc. has been a military broker for 48 years & owned by the same family into the third generation. As retired Navy and Veterans of the Navy, they know first-hand how important Military Resale Benefit is to those on active duty while their families are at home. It is important to Bisek & Company that they represent quality products. They work along side Manufacture to bring the best price to the Category Managers & Buyers. Their teams of store sales representatives are continually in the stores insuring their manufactures products are always on the shelf with the proper point of sale signs.

Military TimesMilitary spouse employment problems are "under active examination" by the Trump administration, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway said during a recent event in Washington. Among the issues being looked at, Conway said, are problems with regulations regarding professional licensing. Spouses have long complained about the difficulties and expense in taking their careers across state lines. READ MORE

Military TimesMore commissary shoppers soon will be able to order their groceries online and pick them up curbside thanks to an expansion of the Click2Go program, officials said, though new locations for the service haven't been revealed. Commissary officials expect to announce a timeline for the expansion shortly, according to Ronald Kelly, a spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. READ MORE

Military TimesMilitary commissaries ranked among the top 10 grocery stores in a survey of shoppers published in the July edition of Consumer Reports. The ratings were based on 50,218 responses from Consumer Reports subscribers nationwide, stemming from 93,447 shopping trips to various supermarkets, supercenters and warehouses between July 2015 and September 2016, according to the magazine.
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Military TimesExchange officials have verified 18,011 honorably discharged veterans for online shopping privileges, including nearly 15,000 in the first four days of the new verification process, officials said. And no, the site that handles the verification, VetVerify.org, isn't a scam. READ MORE

Military TimesDefense Secretary James Mattis on Monday dismissed concerns about a growing pay gap between service members and their civilian counterparts, calling current military salaries "competitive" with private-sector wages. The comments came in response to criticism of President Donald Trump's proposed military pay raise for fiscal 2018.
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Washington ExaminerDefense Secretary Jim Mattis tried to reassure House defense hawks Monday, testifying that the "real" Trump administration military buildup will happen from 2019 to 2023. Members of the House Armed Services Committee questioned Mattis over why the Defense Department's proposed 2018 budget, unveiled in May, does not include the big increases in troops, ships and aircraft touted by the president.READ MORE

Military TimesHouse lawmakers recently approved sweeping changes to firing rules at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a move supporters say will help reform the second-largest federal agency and restore public trust in its workforce. It also gives President Trump a major legislative victory. He's expected to sign the measure into law in the next few days.READ MORE

Military TimesIt's Jim Mattis week on Capitol Hill. In an odd scheduling quirk, the secretary of defense appeared before before congressional committees four consecutive days this week. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford is set to accompany him for each event, including an unusual 7 p.m. hearing on June 12 before the House Armed Services Committee, which has prompted jokes of "prime time Mattis" among Hill staffers. READ MORE

Defense NewsAs lawmakers grilled Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on the gap between President Trump's defense buildup promises and his 2018 budget, Mattis reassured them the "real growth" begins in 2019. Mattis told members of the House Armed Services Committee he did not yet have funding projections for the troops, ships and jets Trump has talked about and offered assurances the budget released in May was the first step toward that goal.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Specific information on upcoming ALA events is posted regularly on the ALA website. To learn more about each event, please click the following links:

U.S. Department of DefenseDefense Secretary Jim Mattis launched a full-throated attack on looming across-the-board spending cuts during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, saying "no enemy in the field has done more to harm the combat readiness of our military than sequestration." The sequestration provision of the Budget Control Act of 2011 imposes across-the-board spending cuts if Congress and the White House cannot agree on more targeted cuts.READ MORE

Military TimesThe Pentagon wants to upgrade its new retirement package so the military's longest-serving enlisted personnel have greater incentive to remain in uniform. Introduced in late-May, the proposal calls for removing eligibility limits on the dollar-for-dollar contributions that will be made to troops’ 401(k)-style investment accounts. Current rules halt those payments once personnel reach 26 years of service. READ MORE

U.S. Department of Defense The Defense Department launched an online and mobile educational program to help individuals begin to recover, heal and build resiliency after a sexual assault. The self-guided program, called, "Building Hope and Resiliency: Addressing the Effects of Sexual Assault," can be completed at the user's pace and features information about coping mechanisms, practical relaxation exercises, definitions, links to resources and referrals for ongoing support. READ MORE

Military Times There has been an increased focus on wounded warriors since the Sept. 11 attacks and, in recent years, on their caregivers. Now, it's time to shine a national light on the needs of their children, said Linda Davidson, executive director of Our Military Kids. "We need a voice for these children, to help them connect with the communities where they live and hang out," said Barbara Thompson, who recently retired as DoD's director of the office of family policy. READ MORE

COMMISSARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissary Web Posts

The following commissary items were recently posted to the ALA Website:

ReutersGerman grocery chain Aldi Inc. said it would invest $3.4 billion to expand its U.S. store base to 2,500 by 2022, raising the stakes for rivals caught in a price war. Aldi operates 1,600 U.S. stores and earlier this year said it would add another 400 by the end of 2018 and spend $1.6 billion to remodel 1,300 of them.READ MORE

Military TimesMore commissary shoppers soon will be able to order their groceries online and pick them up curbside thanks to an expansion of the Click2Go program, officials said, though new locations for the service haven't been revealed. Commissary officials expect to announce a timeline for the expansion shortly, according to Ronald Kelly, a spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. READ MORE

MashableAmazon is many things: online retail juggernaut, Oscar-winning studio, proprietor of the cloud that powers half the web. Now it's added number-one battery maker and leading baby wipes brand to the list. The Seattle company has spent more than two decades building itself into a giant ecommerce platform to connect buyers and sellers of all manner of things. In doing so, it has turned the retail industry upside down. READ MORE

Food DIVEScientists and packaging companies have been working for years to develop technology that indicates spoilage in food and beverage products. Several years ago, researchers at the University of Rhode Island came up with heat-sensing UPC codes that would change color when a fresh product became too warm, indicating contamination.
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Military TimesMilitary commissaries ranked among the top 10 grocery stores in a survey of shoppers published in the July edition of Consumer Reports. The ratings were based on 50,218 responses from Consumer Reports subscribers nationwide, stemming from 93,447 shopping trips to various supermarkets, supercenters and warehouses between July 2015 and September 2016, according to the magazine.
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Highlight PressThere has been some selling insider activity on SpartanNash Company recently. M. Shan Atkins, Director disclosed the sale of 2,000 shares of SPTN stock. The shares were sold on June 8 for a price of $30.01. Atkins now owns $1,033,107 of the stock according to the SEC filing.READ MORE

By Shawn SmajstrlaDon't nail J.C. Penney's coffin just yet. The venerable retailer is often mentioned in the same conversation as other retailers thought to be nearing their final breaths, including Sears and Macy's. And it's easy to understand the sentiment. Nine retailers filed for bankruptcy protection in the first quarter of this year, with Rue21, Payless and Bebe joining the list so far this quarter. The sector is on pace to match or potentially break the record of 18 retail chain bankruptcies filed in 2009.
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The New York TimesAt J. Crew, the other ballet flat has dropped.
The company announced that Millard Drexler, the legendary merchant who masterminded the reinvention of the former preppy catalog brand but could not stop its decline, would step aside as chief executive.
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PYMNTS.comHis father basically invented the modern-day shopping mall, so it's only fitting that Will Smith, founder of Euclid Analytics, would be revolutionizing the retail experience for the next generation.
Hundreds of brands use Euclid products to understand customer behavior in brick-and-mortar stores, quick-service restaurants and shopping malls and then translate that understanding into better marketing to drive transactions.READ MORE

The Associated Press via Omaha World-HeraldWalmart CEO Doug McMillon touted the company's investments in people and technology, but also said the company may have reached an employment peak and urged employees not to be afraid of automation.READ MORE

Progressive GrocerWhile consumers increasingly are spending more time shopping online for everything, including groceries, their desire for human interaction isn't lost: both digital and human engagement are critical influencers, new research from Interactions, a division of Stamford, Connecticut-based retail firm Daymon, shows.
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By Shawn SmajstrlaWhen Wal-Mart recently announced first-quarter earnings, the highlight was a surge in online sales. Its stock subsequently rose more than 3 percent on the day and set a new high-water mark for its 52-week range. "Wal-Mart beats on earnings as online sales surge," "Wal-Mart targets Amazon," and "Wal-Mart's e-commerce goes through the roof" read the headlines across news sites. Somewhat buried in the numbers, but not lost on investors, was also an increase in foot traffic to its stores.READ MORE

The Dallas Morning NewsJ.C. Penney is considering leaving its Manhattan store that it's operated in a four-level mall since July 2009.
The 150,000-square-foot store, which is located on 32nd and 33rd Streets, is not far from Macy's Herald Square store. Plano-based Penney wants to sublease the space and instead open in one of the other New York boroughs.READ MORE

Convenience Store NewsAlthough today's consumers are growing more health-conscious with their food choices, they still have room in their lives for little indulgences, according to new research from Mintel. Approximately 50 percent of Americans surveyed say that the top reason they snack is to treat themselves, and more than one-quarter (28 percent) agree that taste is more important than health when choosing a snack.READ MORE

Convenience Store DecisionsOn the surface, e-cigarettes are performing well in terms of other tobacco products category sales. Information Resources Inc., a Chicago-based market research firm, reported total sales of all electronic tobacco devices — e-cigarettes and vapors/tanks/mods — in U.S. convenience stores totaled more than $71.8 million for the four weeks ending March 19. READ MORE

Convenience Store NewsConsumers with busy lifestyles regularly rely on food service. Retailers often hesitate to introduce a food service offering due to the perception that it is expensive, risky and labor intensive. It doesn't have to be. Successful food service programs depend on how retailers position and promote them.READ MORE

Convenience Store DecisionsWells Fargo recently attended Beverage Digest's "Market Smarts" Conference in New York City and shared the future outlook for beverages. Key themes from this year's conference, as outlined by Wells Fargo included the following.READ MORE

CSP Daily NewsToday's discerning shoppers not only possess more information relating to the products they buy (or choose not to buy), but they also have strong opinions on the companies they choose to patronize, especially when it comes to the effect the company's operations will have on the environment and generations of future shoppers. READ MORE

CSP Daily NewsCustomization is important to more than a third of customers, according to a December 2016 report from market research company Mintel. This burgeoning interest in customization allows consumers to create a meal that suits them, and is being powered by restaurants, which are increasingly letting customers order any which way.READ MORE

Stars and Stripes A school at the only Navy base on the Korean Peninsula will close its doors next week after serving students for nearly 60 years.
Low enrollment at C.T. Joy Elementary/Middle School at Chinhae Naval Base, near Busan, caused the Department of Defense Education Activity to decide in December to shutter the facility, which serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
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Fort Bliss Bugle The brave women and men who serve and defend our nation day in and day out do so selflessly, not looking for reward or recognition. Behind many of these great heroes are spouses, tirelessly supporting their Soldiers through deployments, multiple moves and long work hours.
Many spouses are very active in the military community working, volunteering and making military installations a community.
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Hotel OnlineThe Navy Lodge Program announced its 2016 award winners during its annual worldwide Training and Strategy Workshop. The awards highlight outstanding guest service in a variety of different facets of the Navy Lodge.
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